PS 3505 
.H674 
35 

1917 
:OPY 1 








HGivri Chariot 



fe 





Class _Ei( 

Cop\TightN!*__LX/. 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 





•> IIIIHIIIIIIIIIimilllillllHIilUIIIIIIHIMIimniHIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIHIIflNIIIIIMIItMHinillllll ^ 



WITH BEST WISHES 

TO 



FROM 



*t« '■ ■'■'■■'■■■■<iii<ii>i>>i>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|i|,|||,|„|„|„ fy 



**« llllllllllllllllllllllllllllillilllllllltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIi ^% 




PUBLISHED BY THE 

HENRI CHERIOT PUBLISHING CO. 

ORLANDO. FLA. 



V lllllllllllllllMllllllllllllltlMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll«*, 



»*• II mill iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiitiiiiiiiininiiMiiiiiMiiiii^ 



BL.AC K INK 



**« iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH »•« 



*«• niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, «•• 




liiMiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiMiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii .% 



«% iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiliiiiii iiiiiiii{« 




LACK 



1 N K 



BY THE 



AUTHOR OF 



VARIANT VERSE 



«{» iiiiniiiuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii"" «S» 



♦ iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiMUiiiiiHiiinnimiiniiminiiiiiinmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiummnimn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ^ 



COPYRIGHT 1917 
BY HENRI CHERIOT 



/ 






OCT 27 1917 



«5» .iimiminimiiMmimiimi imimMiMi tnmniiiiM.iimiiimmmiimimmiiiiiiiimmimmm <♦ 

0CU4768O1 



•*« IIIIIIMIIilillHIIIIIIIllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Illlllllllllllllll»> 



AUTHOR 

OF 

The following Poems: 

Violet Pal 

Post-mortem 

Tale of a Rose 

The Seventh Aan 

A Smack at School 

A Real Santa Claus 

Just to Belly-whop Again 

Tale of a New-born Brook 

Gee! How 1 wish it was Spring 

Days a Fellow never quits Lovin' 

Ae an' Poll Don't Cuss any Aore 

Toast of the Vaste-basket 

Rubbish — from Heap 

A Back-woods Spit'h 

Woodland Autation 

Bride of the Brook 

The Little Spitball 

The Last Prayer 

Knotty Blue 

f^edeemed 

etc. 



»*• lllllllinilllllinillMMIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIItlllllllllllMIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllll »*« 



V •iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|||„„„„,„„„„|„„„„„„„„„„„|„„|„„„„„„„ iiiiiiiiiiiii,,, ••• 




Think two times 

Befo' yo' talk 
Den wtiat yo' squeak 

Sho' hab de squak 



lllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllll||||||||lll|l||||||HII|||||IIH|||||||||||||||„„„„„„„„„„„„„„ 



lllllillllllll A 



•*• llllllilllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMnilllllllllllllllllMlllinilMIIMIIIMIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillinillllllllMIIMMIIIIi •*• 



CONTENTS 

Ah Doan See Why 29 

Ah Say'd GO 23 

Angel Eyes 43 

D' Barn Yarn 39 

D' Floatin' Somethin' 37 

De Gal an' De Game 20 

Dc Waitin' Chair 28 

De Wish-bone Wc Hung up Nex' Day 1 7 

Down 'Aong de Pines 26 

Ef de Dam in de Ailky Way done Bust 33 

Friends, No Ao' 32 

JHe dat Gib Uuick, Gib Two Time 25 

In Aarbi Mails 24 

Light Question an' Dark Answer 38 

Aemoirs 1 5 

Negro Knots 21 

Negro Pnilos'phy 32 

None Happier, 'Cept Ang^ls 33 

Safety Firs' 30 

Shadows an' Comin' Vents 24 

She Do 22 

Solomon's S'lution 40 

We Nebber Knows 44 

Wen Black am black 34 
Wen de Kettl Spits de Steam 'Gainst d' Pot 1 6 

Wen d' Aoon mek de Aelon Look Sweet 41 

Wen de Snow mek d' Grouii' Look Pale 42 

Whar's Cinders, Dar's Soot 3 1 

Whar de Littl' Swallows Lib 3 1 

Whar do Flowers get de Colors From 39 

What Aammy Tole Ae Say 44 

Whistr, Den He Stop 36 

Who's Ae 1 S 

Who Yo' Be 1 9 

Won't be Floppin' on Yo' 30 



*^<» iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii »% 



Viiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiii,i,M„„„„,„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„ iiiiininiiii,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, »♦, 




Di3 LiTTL, Stick, 
Ah call d it. Home -- 
Dis Cabin. 

AN' NOVV. in DREAMS: 

Ah knos t wuz wuff 
De habin 



<*"""»»»»"» ■"•■•••nrfiim„,„„„„„„„„,„„„ „„„„,„„„„ ,„„„„„„„ „„„„„„.!, 



•t*lllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllMilMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllllllllllllllllli •> 



AEAOIRS 



A 



H USED TO BE a'littl' Nig, 

Ain't so awfully-much bigger now; 
S'posc b'cause ah smok'd t'bac 
An wuz ebber in troubl' an' row. 



Ah nebber fo'gcts de ol" sow, an' her pigs, 
An' our sas'y good-fo'-nuffin' sKinny mule. 
An' w'at ah learn'd, w"cn it come to de tricks; 
Dat wuz 'bout de bes' thing in de school. 

Ah mem'ers do'sc patches ob big melons, 
An' de fish's dat ah hauls fiom de water. 
An' de ol' Squire, dat lib'd up de hill - 
Who hab no use foh his runaway daughter. 

Wish's do'se days wuz back again, - 
Doan see w'at 'tis dat meks us get old; 
Spec', b'cause w'en de fool-kid am young, 
He doan kno' 'nough t'quit messin' wid de cold. 

Does ah ebber thinks ob de good groun-peas? 
Guess ah do, foh dey wuz big an' fat ! 
An' de darn bugs, an' skeeters, an' flies; 
Always comin' roun' wah ebbei ah wuz at. 

An' Aammy, an' Pappy, who died ob ol' age, 
An' Brothers an' Sisters wid same black face. 
An' a'hole lot moah, ah could tell 
Ef de Town hadn't come an' spoil de place. 

Dey is some things ah would lak to fo'get. 
An' dey doan keer to be wantin' to go; 
But ah does wish ah could list'n again 
To de music ob mah Pap's fiddlin'-bow. 



= Fl FTEEN S 

*l* <iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiinMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiitiiiiiiniiiii"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii *> 



**• iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiuiiiiniiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuMimiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 



De tunes am still so sweet an' so dear, 
Dey keeps always comin', whar ebber ah does roam I 
Ef ah only hab back, jcs one littl' hour. 
Ah knows, ah could mek mah-sef ter home* 



.,,,||||||t|l|IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIilllllllillllllli>tlllllll«»- 

Wen de Kettl' 
Spits de Steam 'Gainst d' Pot 

Wen ah wuz a littl' niggah baby-gal, 

Jes 'bout as high as our ol' sow; 

Ah used ter always help mah good Aammy 

Do chaws an' keep de flies off de cow. 

Ah nebber play'd wid de res' ob de chil'ren, 
Cause mah Aammy say'd ah should not: 
So ah always listen'd to de kettl' sing, 
Wen it spit de steam against de pot. 

It whar many yeahs ago — it whar. 
An' Aammy's done gone no mo' to' be; 
But de same ol' kettl' dat spit fo' her. 
Am now bringin' back do'se hours to me. 

Ah is old'r now, an' jes lak mah Aammy; 
An' ah liv's in de same littl' Log Cabin; 
Ah nebber lef de do'r fo' anudder to shut. 
Cause no niggah wuz ebber wuff de habin'. 

So ah stays right c'heah 'tills ah dies, 
Foh ah luv's eb'ry thing ah has got, 
An' it mek me feels mos' happy — wen 
De Kettr spits de steam against de pot. 



Z SIXTEEN - 

*2* iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*> 



•*<»IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllllllllllllllllillllHIUUlllllllll1llllll||llinilil|U|||||ii||||||||||||i|||||||, »% 

i De Wish-bone We Hung up Nex' Day | 

I A Parody I 



It wuz dc Eb'nin' befo' de ThanKsgibin' time - 
Ah mem'ers it too, fo' it wuz no chile-play. 
An' dere wahn't a'decen' mouthful in de Cabin, 
Dat could do a'bit t'ward drivin' hunger away. 

Aah big fat sow, dat ah 'spected to kill, 
Jes' lay'd down an' died de week befo' 
An' dere wuzn't no use totin' cotten to gin; 
Foh de market wuz done full up to de do'. 

Aah ol' yal'er dog wuz as near skin an' bone, 
As ebber he had kear'd to be in dis life; 
So ah lets 'm go an' pay a'visit to de neighbors, 
Leabin' at home, jes' me an' Dinah, mah wife. 

Now ah doan Stan's good fo' what animals does, 
Ef dey do steals, dats none ob mah lookout; 
An' ah doan thinks dat it am much ob a'sin, 
To eat what hab imp'dcnce to be floatin' a'bout. 

De moon wuz shinin' on dat partic'lar night. 
An' we wuz sittin, an' smokin', an' talkin'; 
When ah hear'd footsteps,- lak dey's familiar; - 
Dat seem'd all roun' de Cabin to be stalkin'. 

So ah say's: '*Dinah, yo' goes an' sees who 'tis," 
Fo' womens always ten's to visitin' in de South ; 
An' when de do' open'd, dar in de moonlight. 
Stood mah yal'er Pup, wid a' Turkey in his mouth. 

Fo' de Lor's sakes alive, de sense ob dat Pup; 
Ah feels thankful, ah do, fo' his thinkin' way; 
But ah sho' lak to kno', whar dat sens'bl dog 
Got de Bird, wid v/ish-bone we hung up nex' day. 



SEVENTEEN 



•t* 'HiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiniiimimnuiimninHtiMimiiHiiMiiiHiutiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii *l* 



^« MiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiininiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiii ii niiiiiiiiinnii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mi. ,;, 



"Who's Ae" 



Ah is jes' a'littl' Pickaninny, 
As black as ah could cbber be; 
An ah of'cn t'inks ob ax'n yo" 
Ef yo' kno's who rcal'y is me. 

Ah has no Fa an' no Aa, lak yo'— 
Nebber had none, so dey does say; 
An w'en ah always ax's who ah is, 
Dey jes' turns dere heads a'way. 

Ah won'ers how ah wuz got — 
From what black hole did dey dig; 
An* ef dere's lots 'er mo' lak me — 
Dat looks lak dis littl' Nigl 

W'en ah hears de Chil'en call'd 
It mek me feels mos' 'shame, 
Foh den ah t'inks ob mah own-sef, 
Dat nebber gets eben a'name. 

Ah nebber habs no toys nor dolls, 
An' nobody ebber has a'kiss fo' me; 
Doan see why ah gets nuffin', 
W'en pictur's show dey meks 'm be. 

Ah is lonesom' mos' all de time — 
'Cept, w'en ah sees de stars in d' sky; 
But dey doan wants to play wid me. 
An' ah ax's dem de reas'n why! 

Do de Lord gib peoples dere name, 
An a'place up in yonder sky too; 
An' do ebrybody hab som'one to lub 
Or does dey has to do as ah do ? 



Z EIGHTEEN - 

*l* lllllllllllllllllimillMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMMIIIillllllMltllllllMIMIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIillllMIIMIIinilllllllinilllllllllll ^* 



«^« iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiininniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiHiiiitiiiitMiiuji •*• 



Ah is jcs' a'littr black FicHanin, 
But sho' would lack to kno' who ah be 
An' will lub yo' as Icng as ah libs; 
Ef yo' will only tells, who is me. 



" Who Yo" Be '* 



Sweet littr Fickaninna-gal ah be's him, 
Dat done come to tells yo' who yo' be, 
Foh ah is de littl' Niggah dat kno's 
Yo' is de piece ob honey, )es' lo' me. 

Ah ain't got no diamion's, sweet Pickanin, 
'Cept do'se dat yo' can see in mah eyes; 
An' ah can't put 'em on yo r linger. Sweet-one, 
but dey tells whar all de bes' lub lies. 

Some day ah has a'littl bungalo' fo' yo'. 
In de iields whar de cott'n an' de corn, 
Will ebber help to mek yo' happy, Pickanin; 
Wid sunshine comin' to us eb'ry morn. 

Littr Pic'anin'a ! Yo' is mah Sweetheart, 
Foh de Lord done mek yo' black, lak me; 
An' w'en yo' gets to be a'great big lady, 
Aah lips gwine ebber tell, who yo' be. 



— ■? 



EF AH COULD AEK de Dollars grow on trees. 
An' plants do'se trees whar ebber ah do be's; 
Does yo' reckon ah would hab a'biggcr crop: 
Ef ah goes of'en, jes' t' hear de bloss'ms drop? 



S NINETEEN 5 

^ •IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIillllllllllllllllliMMIIIilllllllllllllHIIIMMMIIIIIIlKllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllillll *S* 



,.^ „ uiuHuiiiiiiiiii iiiimimiiiiinn iiiiiiiiiiiiimiimmnminiiiMiiiiimiiiimminm. ♦> 

= De Gal an' De Game i 



Wen yo' goes to de swell dinin' hall, 
Wid a'Chicken yo' thinks am all honey; 
An' takes from yo' pocket de green 
Dat looks lak a'big bunch ob money,- 

Dat am de hit! 

Wen de wai'tah biing in de bill, 
An' yo' puts on ae bes' smile yo' can, 
An' doan show no sign ob a'worry. 
But jes' lets go lak a'puff'd-up man,- 

Den yo's safe fo' second base. 

Wen after de Opera done shut de do'. 
An' eb'rything jes' look de extrac' ob glue, 
An' yo's blow'd in a'fist full ob money, 
An' de sky's b'ginin' to look nice an' blue,- 
Yo' is jes' leavin' third base. 

An' w'en de clouds b'gin t'get mighty mussy 
An' Chickadedee say: "Come w'en yo' can. 
Ah would lek yo' to hab de pleasur' 
Ob meetin' mah friend — ba'name, Aah Aan; 
Den it am a foul, an' yo' is out. 



■iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 



DON'T 'AAGIN', b'cause yo's got de dough. 
Dat de 'hole world gwine topple over fo' yo'; 
Yo' might be de stalk dat gib de stick to cane, 
But yo' hasn't wings lak de airoplane. 

Yo' may be de grease dat could fry de egg, 
Or de sole dat hab to fuss wid wood'n peg; 
An' yo' isn't all be 'lassas dat come from de can, 
Ef yo' hasn't got de mekins ob a'somethin' man. 



TWENTY 



•*• l(illinflMIIIIIIIIIIMillMIIIIIII<M11tlM4l4i4il*l1MMIIUIJIUJIIIIIIlllUJIUJUIIIIinUMIIIIIUIUUIUIIllllllllllll t^ 



•** iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii »> 



Negro Knots 



It's fo'teen y'ars since me an' he, 
Wuz stradlin' de top ob de fence; 
Dem wah de days, not lak dis day - 
Wen now, ah has to lib in s'pence. 

Ah mem'ers dat Kio-niggah, he sayin': 
"Spec' some day, Ophelia, w'en ah is old, 
Ah'il ax' yo' to be mah odder halt;- 
Dat is, ef ah ain't oead or yo's cold." 

He keep his word, dis diity Nigger did. 
An' ah wish'd to oe Lord dat tie died; 
boh we is 'bout de poor'st mix ob color 
Dat ebber eat de hoe-cake sioe ba' side. 

In de court now is hangin' mah story 
Wid knots dat dey doan keah to untie.- 
Ah loses feelin's, ah do, w'en dey say: 
"Yo'll be out ob dis troubl'. bom-by!" 

Ah won'ers ef de couit-days is ebber comin', 
W'en dey'll cut strings wid no such fussin'; 
Ef ah had mah say. ah'd gib people dere way, 
Den dere'd nebber be any mo' mussin'. 



■iiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiii 



nOS' Hur'icanes an' Cyclones, am 'Stirrin' Air' 

/Aade by de peoples 

Pushin' mo' den dey can spare; 

But de first am 'stinctly de wors' ob de two, 

Fo' it am de breeze dat come lak a'sneeze, 

An' doan hab a'bit ob sugar in it fo' y'u. 



/ 

TWENTY-ONE 



•;« iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiinifniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii> <• 



A lIllMIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIMIillllllllllMMIIUMIMIIIIIIIIilllllillllllllllMllli 1^ 



She Do 



Ah has a yallcr-gal dat thinks a heap ob me- 
Dat is, wen no odder's prowlin' roun'; 
An' she am jes' as sweet as pork-chop meat, 
Foh no odder, wid her. hab de comparin' soun'. 

Ah seems all de plaster, wen we's t'gedder. 
Wid spoonin' pass de mark whar all am grittin"; 
But wen she roll dem big black-black eyes, 
Ah don'ts kno" cf ah stan's, or jes' he's sitlin". 

She keep me guessin' de 'hole day long,— 
Ah loses a"heap ob sleep eb'ry ebenin', too; 
Ef dar's gwine to be any all's-fo'-yo'-sef. 
What's de use ob waitin', de way she dol 

Ah has plan'd de future, fo' de time to come, 
Wid palaces to take de place ob de littl' cabin, 
An' box's chuck full ob dollars, made ob gold; 
But she seem so slow, dis-all to be grabbin". 

Ah tells her all de fun'y littl" jokin' things — 
entertains her wid de laies' airo-flash's; 
But dey doan hab de sort ob soothin' mixtur' 
Fo she ax's ei an means wnat ah docs hash's. 

Ah meks de pictur' move an' sticks it in d'frame, 
Wid color oD de rainbow, lak's in de sky. — 
An' dat doan come wid'in a'mile ob de sprinkl'. 
So ah thmks dat gal doan gib her boat de tic. 

Guess ah done put too much slippin' okra 
To de mush, an' mck ob it a'biffyum-looly'u: 
But she am wutf cb'ry lie ah can's glue t'gedder; 
An' what's mo', cf dis black chunk don't win,— 
She do : 



S TWENTY-TWO = 

*X« u((cuuiuittHiiuuuiiutiiiiuiiuniiiuuut<(iiiutiiiitniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiii ^« 



•% iiiiiiiill.lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllV 



Ah Say'd. GO! 



De odder night, 'bout half-alter nine, 

Ah walks home wid-out Icokin' behin'. 

An' ah turns de latch, wen ah gets to de do'r 

So it doan lose it-sef, ah lochs it, to be sho'r. 

Ah goes to de hearf, jes' lak ah wuz use't, 
Wen ah sees somethin', look lak a'ghost on a'roost; 
Ah feels foh mah razor, dat wuz let' on de way, 
Whar some fussin' hab gib it room fo' to stay. 

Ah sees dat somethin' movin, an' a'movin' slow, 
Look lak it wuz a'comin'. so ah say'd: "GO!" 
Ah ain't so 'fraid ob ghosts, ef dey does talk; 
But wen dey is still, dis Niggah sho' doan gawk I 



■■ III iiiiiiii I II I iiiiiiiiiii III ■■■•>•••"••••'• 



Concludin' Po'tion 



- an', in de drawin' ob dis hyer Sarmon to de 
rear end ob de concludin' po'tion; let me artic' 
late, as de receibin'-plate am bein' toted roun'; ah 
cert'inly feels sorry to reques' de discontin'ance 
ob any furder gibin' ob checks. 
Dey may hab de 'pcaranc's — at de bles'ed mo- 
ment, but, ah has nebber hcar'd ob 'pearanc's 
mekin' a'decen' mouf-ful. 

Ah dercfoh reques's de congregation to please 
obserb. dat: he, who gib de paper-check, hab 
mercy on him dat am check'd by de paper. 



= TWENTY-THREE ~ 

A% iiiMMiiiiiii MM 111 III IIIIIIII iiimmimimiiiiiiiiinimiiiiin iiimiinmiiiiiminmnuiiiiiiiilil ^ 



•> iiiiiiiillillllllllllllllllllllllllUIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIilllUIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIMIIIIMIIIIIIMIiniMMMIiMIUIIIIUHl ^ 

3 E 

z = 

i In Aarbr Halls I 



J'cbber dream dat yo' is Ben Ad'em, — | 

Aekpiece Bill, Charlie Chap or Sis /^ary: | 

Wid nuffin' to do, but jcs' count glue | 

An' has yo' face eb'ry-wah motionary? i 

I 

Ef yo' hasn't, den yo' loses half ob yo' life; | 

Foh it's dis fcelin' dat gibs yo' de honey: | 

Yo' lays down. ~ Angels pass dc stuff aroun' | 

An' befo' yo' wakes, yo' is rollin' in money! | 



Shadows an' Comin" 'Vents 



yen ah almos' wakes, one moonshine night, 
Ah sees d' Angel standin' close bah mah bed; 
Wid a big roll ob somethin' in one white han', 
An' a pen in dc odder, -jes' scratchin' her hcjd. 

Ah thinks to mah-sef: dere am some comin' troubl', 
But ah doan zackly catch wah it all might be; 
Foh first she done look at de top ob mah head. 
Den down at de shoes, dat wuz jes' restin' wid me. 

Den ah speaks up an' ax's what be's d' matter, 
Fo' ah could see she wuz hidin' some buse; 
But she jes' keep scratchin'. an' say she done pray: 
Only las' week fo' him dat wuz wcarin' de shoes. 

De moon sneak'd som'whar behin' a big ugly cloud, 
An' de Angel mus' ob gone up to Jordon's ribbers; 
Foh wen ah wakes, ah sees a'big fat policman; 
Wid a club, an' de shoes; den ah hunts fo" de kibbers. 



S TWENTY-FOUR Z 

•> ||IM||l||ll|ll|l|lllllllllllllinilllllllMIIIIMIIillllliillllllllllilMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIHilll*lllllllllliHIII»> 



/w iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiMiiiiiHiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii •> 



"Qui donne tot donne deaux fois" 

He dat gib quick, gib two time 

Ah Stan's in dc air, on de ladder, 
ThinKin' dat ah paints mos' gran'; 
Eb'rything in de wod' seem so beau'ful, 
Dat ah fo'gets de brush in mah han'. 

How long ah stays, ah Kno's not. 
But d'rcc'ly from de dep's bclo', 
Ah hears de sweet'st ob Angel 
In de talk ah shoah didn't Hno'. 

Her muddcr-tongue look mos' easy. 
Ah is sorry ah couldn't 'stan' her say; 
But de shakin' ob do'se Parls'n gestur's, 
Sho' gib me de cue, dat ah, had to pay I 

Ah couldn't offer much ob a'pol'gy, 
B'cause all mah doin' look wrong, 
An' de moah ah mess'd wid sof-soapin' 
De louder she come out wid dat song. 

So ah digs down, deep in mah pocket, 
An' pulls out d' big'est roll yo' ebber saw; 
Den she smile, wid hooks nebber ceasin'. 
As mah dollars wuz kibberin' her paw. 

Wen ah com's to mah sens's, all's floatin'; 
But de mem'ry dat's stickin, am sadder. — 
Doan totes no mo', foh Donn'rs ah don'no; 
Ah jes keeps what ah has, up dc ladder! 



CITY LIFE am som'what flutin' 
So much goin', heah an' dar. 
Eb'rybody sho' in a'hur'y, 
Jes t' be skootin' — som'whar! 



- TWENTY-FIVE " 

»% iiiiiiiiiiintiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*' 



,♦, ,„„„„„„„„i,nHimimiimiim"««"m"""""«"""""""" nimimnmmmmnmiimim. .> 

I Down 'mong dc Pines | 



Thanks yer Aissy, wc's ken sho use de stuff, 
An' wants mah nist'ry, wid pinch ob snuff 1 
Reckon yo' doan find it so pow'rfuU good,— 
It's hard a goin', wen we needs fillin' wid food. 

Weill dis heah be's our Cabin, side dis stream; 
Wid de corn an' hogs, an' cow dat gib de cream; 
An' me an mah Uiil'rcn stays heah, yo" see.— 
Yo' is right /'Viosy, dey docs ail belongs to me. 

Aah manl He's done been gone dis many a day, 
Libbin' wid some black wench, up dat-a-way. 
We doan miss 'irn, — wahn't much good no-how. 
Got so doggone lazy, tie woudn't tend de cow. 

Ah speks, some day dat nigger '11 be smoothln' In, 
'Liars to goodness Aissy, ah has d' rollin'-pin; 
An cf he cbber put de hoof in dis heah shea, 
Ah gibs him all de reas'n lo' holdin' down de bed 1 

No! we nebber has too much taters, hogs or peas, 
An' sho would miss de corn dat goes wid dese — 
bay yAartha I go an' sees de rice cioan scorch, 
/\n" Rasl yo' toies mo' pme, an' lays it on de porch. 

Yes m Aissy, we keeps a movin'— jes ax d' fish. 
Dey knows us all, an' meks right smart de dish. — 
Look! dat's mah baby yonder, pullin' at de tit, 
/\n bossy's so tame, she 'lows dc taste ob it. 

Lonesom'? bless yo' Hun, dat's not wid us to be 
LaK It is wid de White f^olks, in dc big City.— 
Heah Zerus, ah tole yo' quit messin' wid dat pig- 
Did yo eDber see scch foolishness as 's in dat nigl 



TWENTY- SIX 



»% iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiummHi"""'"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""' ••' 



•t« iiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiH iiiniiiiiiii MiiiiiHiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiii,,,,,, •*« 



It keep us goin', but de sun shines eb'ry day, 
Som'timcs it's pow'rful cloudy, but we finds de way, — 
Now jes look at dat black face, at de pine; 
Ebber sinc3 we name him, he's been cuttin' turp'ntine. 

Yas'um, wc's poor, but rich wid de smile, — 
Has no use fo' troubl', it's nebber wuff de while. 
Yo' hears dat littl' wench a'hummin' ober dere? 
Whar she get de tune, meks us guess fo' fair. 

Yas Hun'yl Jes' 'bout as happy as niggers is to be. — 
Dey's nine ob us lib'n, de biggest am do'sc free; 
Dey helps me do de hoein' an' gettin' ob de meat, 
An we's got no use fo' shoes a'hangin' to de feet. 

We has no mule, mah man done took 'm way. 
But dis fall, we 'speks 'er hoss, wen cot'n's in de pay; 
An den we aims-ter plowin'; fo' work is all we kno's. — 
Aissy yo' is good, yo' nebber looks at clothes! 

Yo's goin'? Well we hopes yo' finds y'r peoples glad, 
Twahn't much we gib yer, but it's all we had.— 
Good-bye, — heah Geofus! get de lady 'nolias, nice; 
Ah mus' be goin' too, ah smells d' scorchin' rice! 



EF ah had to say, 

Jes what ah doesn't speak, 

Guess ah'd nebber do much talkin*; 

But some peoples do 

Jes what dey doan squeak. 

An' it sure am, mool's-end baukin'. 



S TWENTY-SEVEJV — 

V '■■'■•■••ii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiniiiiniiiiiitiiitiiiiiiniHiiiiiiMiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiii <« 



«>iiiiiii>iiiiii>><i<iii>i>>>>ii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii>iiiiiiiiii •> 



De Waitin' Chair 



Well ah reckon ah can gibs yer a bit to eat, 
But firs' yo' mus' be whipin' off yer feet. — 
See Honey, ah is old, an' can't bend much now, 
Nor get roun' laks ah use'ter, somehow, 

'Pears to me Son! hain't it pow'rful small 
To be's 'way, from yer home, an' all? 
What has yo' done, dat meks yer so shift 
An' how did y'r know dat ah'd gib yer lift ? 

Yes! ah had a'boy mah-sef, many yeahs ago, — - 
Whar he am now? Good Lord, ah don-kno'; 
He's a'long been gone, wid white folks to lib: — 
Couldn't write, so v^ahn't fit fo' de news to gib. 

Come Son, sit heah, not dar, dat am foh Tommy, 
Who's comin' back, ah reckon, to Aommy; 
Heah, help yo'sef, yer's sho' welcome to de fish; 
An' yo' is lucky too, to hab such a'fine dish. — 

An' tell me Son, wouldn't yo' keer to see 
Yer Aa, dat's thinkin' as to whar yer be? — 
How's came yo' leav' yer peoples,— an' what! 
Yo' is married, — an' has a'wife, — an' little Tot! 

Well ah reckon some fussin's mek yer stray; 
Else yo' doan leav' no home dis-a-way. 
Biz'ncss dif'rent, from yer eb ry-day messin' 
Done made yer go, yo' say. Yer has me guessin'! 

Ah doan' zac'ly get de idee. Yo'r looks am clean,— 
Doan 'pear lak yer clothes ebber mussin' seen. 
Can't eat no mo', not even a'roastin' ear? 
Dey's sweet, de same as wen mah boy wuz here. 



— TWENTY-EIGHT - 

*> iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiniiiiuiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiii •!•. 



•*• iiiiiiiillillllMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIHIIIIMIIinilMiniilMlllllillllllllHIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIII <• 



Reckon yo' hankers mo' foh water den fo' meat, — 
Whar-foh yo' always keeps lookin' at dat scat 1— 
What he's dey calls yer,— whar yo' stay? 
What— Tommy!— Thomas Jeff- Clay, does yo' say I 

Not Tommy, mah Tom. Well fo' goodness sake! 
'N back to yer Aommy? Ef dat doan beat hoe-cake 1 
How's yo' has changed.— Sit dar, dat am de Chair; 
Ah keeps it waitin', de Lord done heah mah prayer. 



Uncle Eef's Solil'qy ob 

"Ah Doan See Why" 

Ah doan see why dey puts d' bridge on de fiddle 
An' why 't is, dey has to uses haar on de bow, 
Wen bridges am so 'portent fo' de people 
An' de haar hab odder places to go. 

Ah doan see why dey has to kill de cats 
To gets de tunes dat meks 'm tink dey's up near stars, 
An ah don't see how de music do keep comin' 
From animools, dat hab bin dead fo' yeahs. 

Ah doan see why 't is, such a'littl' bit ob resin 
Aek so much pitch out ob plain cb'ry-day wood; 
An' ah can'ts see why dey doan lets kitt'ns 'lone 
So peoples can list'n to music )us' as good. 



De wood-pecker am peckin' at mah house eb'ry day 
An' ah's gettin' skeer'd wid his dash'd peckons; 
Ef he doan quit, som'body gwinc to move, 
Foh dis Cabin am too small fo' two; ah reckons ! 



5 TWENTY-NINE 3 

A iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniHHiMMiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiniiiiiHHMiiiiiiiiinHiiimiiiiimiiiiHiiiMUiiiiiiiiiitimin *> 



A |||||||MIIIIIIII»lllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIUIIinilllllMIIIIIMIIIIilllllllllllMn»IIIIIMIIIIIIMi ^ 



Safety Firs' 



Ef ah had 'er gal dat ah could trus', 

Ah simply thinks ah'd need a'hole lot moah; — 

Say, a few million, so ah could jus' 

Keep dc wolf from chewin 'de knob off d' doah. 

Dc Gals nowadays is wantin' so much, 
it teks a'pow'rful pile to keep 'em goin'; 
An' maybe, ef ah did hab de million in touch, 
Ah couldn't keep 'm makin' 'nuff showin'. 

So ah reckon ah keeps to mah-sef all de copper, 
Den it's safe dat ah doan hab d'lusion 
Foh ef she done know, de debbl' doan stop'er 
"Till yo' has de wors' kind ob s'clusion. 



Won't be Floppin' on Y'u 



Ycr blabs as though ah has no soul 
An' blames me 'cause ah's ugly as sin; 
Yo' claims, wen Peter opens yonder gate, 
Dat ah stays out an' yo goes in ! 

Yo' ain't so awfully, awful much 
Dat he gwine to mek a'fuss over y'u; — 
Ef he do, ah waits, foh de time '11 com' 
An* dis am what dis niggah 'tends to do. 

Wen yo' is at de gate, mcssin' wid change. 
Ah slips a'roun' an' saws d'bar in two. 
An' ef dey's any wings, dat's needin' de Angel; 
Dey cert'inly won't be floppin' on y'u. 



- THIRTY = 

/'t ■r.(<irtltt«UJcMlirU(IIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllltlllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIt(IIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIillllIlllllllillilllinMli <>^« 



•I* IIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIHMIIIIIIiniMllllinilllMIIMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillllll *•« 



Whar cle Littl' Swallows Lib 



Ah use'ter wonder whar de littl' swallows lib, 
But now ah nebber thinks, b'cause ah know; 
Foh de odder night ah builds a fire in de h'arth 
An' de smoke com' down, an' choke me so. 

Ah use'ter sees 'em fly aroun' our littl' cabin, 
Heah an' dar dcy'd dip so swift, gee jim'ny 1 
Ah nebber gets a chance ter knows, 'till now ! 
Dat derc home mus' be, in our ol' chim'ny. 



Whar's Cinders, Dar's Soot 



Look heah, Sam Smiff I Ah doan hes'tatcs t' tole y'r- 
Yo' black unfeelin' full-blood'd total 'clips', 
Always sncakin' roun' me an' mah man's Cabin, 
Tryin' to mek mah gal b'lieb honey's on yo' lips. 

Ah's gwine hab no mo' sech nigger mussin', — 
Jumpin' fenc's an' peekin' in mah win'ers. 
An' mckin' yo'sef 'spicous, jes 'bout de time 
We-alls be fas' asleep by de cin'ers. 

B'sides! What's yo' got, dat could keep a'woman, 
Wen it look lak yo' needs fillin' in wid pork. 
No! ah doan lets no nigger hab mah littl' gal, 
Dat hab to jump de fenc's to do de spoonin' talk. 

So doan stan's dar lak a mules-end b.linkin' fool, 
Foh ah means eb'ry word, an' yo' hears mah toot: 
Ef yo' can't step to de do' lak a decen' niggah 
Som'thin's wrong, Aister Smiff, yo' is full ob soot! 



; TH I RTY- ONE S 

•t* 'IMIIIIIIIIIIinilllllllllHIIMIIIHMIIIIIIIMIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillllllllHIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII K* 



lilllllllllllllllllllllilinilllittHiiliiHIIIIitlllllMlllllllllllliltliHIlKltHllllllliitlllitilllliiltllitlMtnitll 



Friends, No Ao' 



Wen mah bruddcr wuz a littl' scamp, 
Aah Aammy spank'd him good. 
Her say! "Now 'cause yo' wuz so bad, 
Yer goes t' bed widout de food." 

He didn't get much wen de table wuz set, 
Cause ah know der' wahn't nuffin' lef from noon; 
Foh ah done eat eb'ry drop on de plate 
An' he licK all de res' off d' spoon. 

Aos' ob de time he didn't eat nuffin' at all. 
Den mah Aammy sho' think he wuz sick; 
An' d' cow an' him would be friends to dis day, 
Ef his Aa hadn't ketch'd up to his littl' trick. 

Den, fo' sure he did go to bed all alone, 

An' jes as em'ty as he could ebber be; 

But de cow didn't keah, foh it got a'calf! 

An' not anudder bit ob milk did mah brudder see. 



I Negro Philos'phy I 

i Ah declar' ef dat man ob mine | 

I Isn't de cutest dat ebber did bark. | 

I He done tole me, feed d'baby onions; = 

I So ah doan lose 'm in de dark. | 

i Dis child's losin' nuffin', yo' hears me! | 

I An' ah snickers, wen ah thinks ob d' lark; = 

I Foh now he's jes gobblin' de onions, | 

I An' ah finds him, be's it ebber so dark. | 

a = 

= THIRTY-TWO ; 
•*• lllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIillMMIIUIIIIIllllllllin V 



<• lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll fy 



Ef de Dam in d' Ailky Way done Bust 



Som'times, wen St Peter am mos' too busy, 
He done let big holes rust in de Dipper's tin; 
Den dere comes de reg'lar ol' wettin'-time 
Dat meks houses act lak dey wahn't fit to lib in. 

Odder-times, he done poke rags into dose holes, 
Den de water drop down, jes a littl' bit. — 
Ah knows Pete would use solder, only de Debbl' say 
He can't see how he's gwine to mess wid it. 

Now ei Peter tell de /Ailky Dam done am bust, 
An' 'stead ob rain, jes cream hab come yo'r wayi 
Ah puts mah mouf up so ah doan lose a drop, 
An' ah keeps it up, till's mah pants won't stay. 

Ah has a movin' idee ob de feelin' dis do gib 
An' don't know jes how ah d thank Aister Pete: 
But fo' dis coon, dat dam doan bust too soon, 
Foh cream am 'bout d' smoothest thing ah kno's t' eat. 



None Happier, 'Cept Angels 

Ah is jes a littl' piece ob a niggah! 
Wid eyes dat look lak bits ob coal 
Stickin' in a bucket ob white-wash, 
Lettin' in de sunlight to mah soul. 

Ah plays eb'ry day roun' our littl' cabin 
So ah hears mah good Aammy's call"; 
An ah kno's no littl' niggers is happier,- 
'Cept de Lord mek Angels ob dem all. 



= THI RTY THREE E 

»*• IlilMlllllllllllllllllllllilllillllllllllllllilllllllllllllMlllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt ^ 



•;• iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii V 



Wen Black am Black 

By TAiss Martha Brown 

Sec heah, Liza Johnson ! 
Ah knows ah's mighty black; 
But ah don'ts keep pushin' 
B'hind no pers'ns back. 
Ycr says ah puts de lye 
In eb-ry wash ah do 1 

Den wench, ah laks ter Know 
Who puts dat lie in y'u. 

Now ef ah 'mem'ers right, 
'T wuz de middle ob de las' week, 
Ah hears white folks tellin' 
'Bout y'u. as bein' sho'ly sleek. — 
Doan kno' who yer's been doin'. 
What's mo', doan keah a fig, 

Foh y'u is 'bout as nex' to nuffin' 
As ah ebber knew a nig. 

An' furdcrmo', Aiss Johnson, 
Ah means jcs what ah says; 
Ef yo' always measur's odders 
By what yo'-sef does wears. 
Den stick dis in yer bonnet; 
Fo' ah knows jes what yo' do: 
Y'U gets de pay fer d' washin' 
An* wears dat washin', too! 



Hav' a' care Niggah! 
Sweets;, com' not always from de Cane. 



S THIRTY-FOUR Z 

•> iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiififfiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii •> 



»> iiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiniiniiiininiiiniiiiiiiiiniimini»«« 

I Wen it am d' Same | 

§ By Miss Liza Johnson 5 

i Is yo' done, Aiss Aartha Brown 1 | 

I Wid all ycr's got tcr gulp? | 

I Well jes list'n to dls worm | 

I Yo' thought y'u'd mash ter pulp. | 

I Aight be as what yo' say, | 

I But ah doan wash fo' weeks | 

I To Keeps mah man from jail, | 

I 'Count ob stealin' chicks. | 

I Yo' says : Ah is nex' to nuffin' I | 

I Well dat's no sin at all; | 

I Ah 'lows ah is— wen nex' to' yo', | 

I Dat meks y'u mighty small. | 

I An' 'cause ah gets ter wear | 

i De clothes dat nebber sags, | 

= Shows dat ah works foh decen' folks; | 

= While yo', does wash fo' rags! | 

I Ah meks no hash ob what ah says | 

I An' tells ycr to de teef: | 

I Y'u is 'bout de sorry'st chunk ob fat | 

I Dat ebber get mixed wid beef. — | 

I YO' steals de chicks, an' uses de lye; | 

I Yer cats d' clothes, an' aches fo' spat. | 

I AH eats de chicks, an' wears dc clothes! | 

i Now Aiss Aartha, mek yer suds i 

I Wid dat I I 



■■iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ••••••><•■■■•• 

Dey is all crooked lanes 
Dat lead to Purgatory. 



" THIRTY-FIVE " 

•*• iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii *> 



<« iiiiiiiiiitimiiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i;« 



Whistr. Den He Stop 



Wid a big gun, ah goes a Rabbit-huntin*, 
In dc wildest woods ah could find: 
Ebber wid mah eye in de front ob mah-sef 
So ah nebber sees de things behind. 

Foh de little animul's am cute an' quicH, 
An' will bounce lak dey is made ob air. 
But wen yo' don'ts fo'gct yer whistl', 
Den he stop, yo' shoots; an' he's dere I 

De odder day ah taKcs mah Pap's big gun, 
An' ah sneak to dose woods, far 'way; 
An' de animul's dat ah see'd an' hear'd 
Gib dis little coon plenty words foh to say. 

Ah first gets up to mah shins in de mud, 
Den de gun got mix'd wid some san' 
An' wen ah wuz scrubbin' de barrel, ah spies 
A' big snake, jes as thick as mah han'. 

Say me. Dat snake an' dis chile doan hitch! 
So ah jumps almos' a' hun'red feet or mo', — 
Ah wouldn't hab stopped to dis heah day, 
Only de taste foh rabbit bother'd me so. 

Den. dircc'ly up jumped a slick cotton-tail — 
Lak to skeer'd me mos' to def. 
Ah thinks ob de gun. an' would hab shot, 
Ef 't hadn't been dat ah wuz out ob bref. 

But jes de same, ah didn't fo'gets to whistl'. 
An de durn fool stop an' look aroun'; 
Ah takes good aim, den pulls de trigger, 
An' de smoke make mos' ob de soun". 



= THIRTY-SIX S 

•> iiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiii •;« 



*I* llinilllllilllllllllllllllHIIIIIMIIilllMIIIIIIIIIIMIilllilltMHIIIIIIIMIIIMIIHIIMIIIIHItllllllllllllltiMMIIIIIIII »> 



Wen it done hab clear'd, an' gone away, 
Ah goes to pick up /lister Rabbit foh dinner; 
But de place wuz bare, he wahn't dere 
An' ah feels mah poor stomach gettin' thinner. 

Ah knows he done stop wen he hear mah whistl'. 
But guess dere wuzn't much bullet to de gun; 
Aah Pap sho' mus' ob keep it load'd up 
So animul's doan gets de chances ter run. 

Ah looks high an' low foh dat long-ear'd scamp, 
But nowhar in de bushes wuz dat cott'n-hare. 
De nex' time, ah whistl's in de barrel ob de gun! 
Den wen ah shoots, de smoke doan hab no scare. 



■ ■IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIII 



D' Floatin' Sometin' 

Dar's a piece ob floatin' somethin' 
Ebber in mah dreams, dat do say: 
Ah is nebber gwine to be lak de Angel, 
B'cause ah ain't been made dat-a-way. 

Dar's a bit ob mist sho' is stirrin' 
An' siftin' thru de night to de day. 
But it am jes a'piece ob dat somethin' 
Dat nebber seem comin' mah way. 



Dar's a gentle zephyr always squirmin', 
An' roun' dis chile do possum-play; 
It sho' mus' be a tiny piece ob Hebben; 
But mah dream tell, dat it am far away. 



S THIRTY-SEVEN S 

*l* ilHIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinilllllinllllllllllilllllllilllKIIIHMiniUlliilllllllllillllt *^ 



<«iiiiiiiiiniMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiififiiiiiiiiiiimfiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii v 



A Light Question 

By a Dark Cloud 



Say Coon ! Has yer ebber tole her, 
Dat yo' lub'd her, — in hours ob de moon ? 
Has yo' nebber swung yer arms aroun' her 
An' promis'd a weddin'; — mighty soon? 

Hasn't yer done lets yer tongue go floppin' 
While 'neaf yo' lid de lies be staulkin' , 
An' mixed a 'hole lot ob funny stuff, 
Dat gets yer tangled; as yer's be talkin'? 

Did yo' ebber kiss dem lips, an say: 
"Ah sho' is glad, — wid pleasur', — some day." 
Den close de gate, an' lets her do de thinkin' 
An' keeps on goin', — to lips dat's far away? 



A Dark Answer 

By a Light Zephyr 



Ah wonders what dat Niggah would say, 
Ef de moon come down iiom de sky 
An' whisper to he, dat dis Zephyr 
Would b^ ill odder worlui by' an' bye. 

Dar's seen a thing, as Niggers bein' cute, 
Foh 'spier'ance meks 'em mo' den wise, 
An" ah Kno' dat actions hab mos' de say 
So ah keeps de wool from shuttin' mah eyes- 

Speks he done think his breezes so tender, 
Dat de tunes ne spiii'd 'il keep on hummin'; 
Ah kno//b! wen an hears too much wind 
Dar's somethin' wors' 'n rain — dat's comin. 



TH I RTY EIGHT 



<• iiiiiiiiHiiiiMiniMiiiiiiiiifii mil iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiMfnifiiiiiiiMiiiiiimiiiiiiniiiiiiiiMiiiiiiitiiiii »•« 



V illlllllllllMMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlltlllllllllMllllMllllinillllllilMIIIIIIIIIMIHIIIMIDHHMMHIII'i i^ 



De Barn-yarn 

Dar ! De das'a'ly deed am done, 
Aa say somethin' 'bout killin' a rooster dis day. 
So ah gets out mah Pap's great big axe, 
An' jes does de choppin' dis a'way. 

Ah grabs holt ob one ob his fcdders, 
He scratch an' done peck'd me foh fair; 
Ei ah had jes rais'd dat axe a littl' bit higher, 
Ah knows all ob him wouldn't hab cut d' air. 

Den ah chases dat rooster all over, 
An' at las" he poke his knot out ob de barn; 
Ah only hits 'im wid de sof side ob d' stick ' 
So what's d'use tellin' mo' ob dis yarn. 



Whsr do Flowers get de Colors From 

Whar do de flowers get de pretty colors from, 
An' how does dey-alls men lov' to one anudder; 
ron dey isn't lak de birds ob Spring, dat come 
To play roun' ae brook, wid whispers to each odderl 

Dey can'ts go heah an dar, an' do what dey please, 
Ue Red, de /aile^; rurpies. Blues an' de Pink. 
So how does dey fmds de colors wid such ease, 
Jes swayin' lo an' iro, not knowin' much fo' think. 

Do de breezes carry to dem, all d' pretty things, 
Dat 'sists 'em wid whatebber dey laks t' know, 
Wid de Aornin's Dewdrop comin' to dem on wings, 
Kissin' eb'ry one, an' tellin' how 't should grow? 

Or he's de fragrance, music, ebber wid sweet hum, 
Crossin' lields an' meadow^, whisperin' what it spy: 
Dat littl ' Flowers might gets d' pretty colors from 
De Rainbow, after de Sun tek de tears out ob de sky] 



- THIRTY-NINE - 

<»** iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii fy 



••• iiiiinniiiimiiiuiiniiiiuiiiiuiiutiimniiMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii liiiiMiMiiHiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiii ,*, 



Solomon's S'lution 



Ah is in dc mos' awful quandry. 
Ah don'ts kno' what ah shall do; 
Dcrc's Luther waitin' near de church 
An' Lijah, dat's done ax'd me too! 

Ah's got into some heap ob troubl' 
Cause do'se niggers gwine to mek a fuss. 
An' ah kno's dere's comin' mis'ch'f, 
Jes' 'count mah bein' so 'dic'ulus. . 

Doan kno' ef ah meks de riffle, 
But ah do kno' dis gal hab de plan, 
An' de bes' niggah dat win in de game 
Takes mz wid 'im, jes as ah stan'. 

Now Solomon say: "Cut de Kid in twol" 
An' ah feels glad to think ob de idee; 
So ah meks up in mind, to Lijah d' half. 
An' to Luther, go de odder piece ob me. 

But de moah ah thinks ob de s'lution, 
De deeper ah goes down in de rut 
Till's ah gets so mess'd wid mah thinkin' 
Ah could'n see which wuz d' bes' cut. 

To has mah-scf sliced half up an' down 
Would gib me only one eye foh to see, 
Ah sho' kno' dis wench need two; 
So dat didn't look lak de cut foh me. 

An' to cuts mah-sef fru de middle, 
Would be jes' 'bout as foolish as ebber. 
But ah says, ah tells 'em, jes de same; 
Den ah finds out de niggah mos' clebber. 



•2»itlllHllllllinillHltMIIIIIIIIIIIIIMillHIIIHilMMIIItlHIMMIIIMIMIIMMMMIMIMMIMMIIIMIIIiniM UMIHII 



<■*• iiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ,'« 



So we meets wen de moon am smilin', 
An' ah jes spreads dz idee to de two; 
But judgement, dat come from do'se Coons! 
Done mek Solomon fo'get all he knew. 

Dey bcf takes to de idee wid pleasur' — 
Jes what ah didn't spek would come true I 
Foh out come de razors, an' d' fuss begin, 
To see who gwine all de cuttin* to do. 

Ef d' cloud hadn't push de moon in de face 
Spek ah'd had a dozen slashes, or mo'; 
So while dey wuz tearin' de subjec', 
Ah sneaks to mah Cabin, an' bars de do'. 



Wen d' Aoon mek de Aelon look Sweet 

Wen de moon shines on de melon 
An' dere ain't nobody dat's worryin'. 
An' de dogs is too tired to do much barkin, 
An' dere isn't nuffin' 'cept yo'sef dat's stirrin'. 

Den ah feels shoah dere's truth in de sayin': 
"Doan lets de grass grow under de feet." 
So ah thinks it bes' t' always be a'movin' 
Wen d' moon mek de melon look so sweet. 



D' Passin' Cloud 

Hit's a'comin' B'lindy, look down de road I 
An' a'comin' sho, lak a'big blowin' toad, 
Ah tells yer, hit's a'comin', an' pow'ful fas' 
No 't ain't Qeowasalus, it's done gone pas' , 



FORTY- ONE S 

'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiniiniiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiii »> 



<• iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii <» 



Wen de Snow mek d' Groun' look Pale 



One mighty cold an' pow'rful frosty cbc, 
Wen dc snow mek de groun' look pale; 
Ah say, an' ah says it to mah only-scf — 
Jes to sec what Santa will gib; 'pon di3 nail. 

Ah sho' hangs mah boot, an see ei 'tis so, 
Dat he real'y do come down de chim'ny flue; 
Foh ah hears so many fun'y ticklish stories, 
Dat ah thinks it time dis Fickanin com' to. 

Ah crawls into mah bed wid pray'rs, an' says: 
•Aister Santa! Ah laks to hab jes what ah need.' 
An soon, shor' 'nuff, ah wuz half asleep, 
Wid de odder half so 't could tell what 't see'd. 

De night wuz blustry, an' stirrin' wid cold. 
As ah feels de storm a'comin' wid a'swish; 
Den in de chim'ny, ah hears a"great big noise, — 
Lak a'hundred raindeers, an' Santa; den ah wishl 

But ah falls asleep an' gets up late nex' morn 
An' crawls from d" bed, wid mah head all a'pick; 
Foh dar, in mah boot, dat done fall to de fio'r. 
Ah spies a'piece ob a sure wood'n stick. 

Ah don'ts kno' ef Santa real'y do be so mean, 
But ah does kno', ah got mos' all dat kindlin', good I 
Nex' Cris'mus, Fap say, wen bricks gib smoke de way: 
or Santa will hab presents, dat am better den de wood! 



Do de woman use powder foh d'struction, 
Or jes fo' sef-preventib ? 



S FORTY- TWO S 

•>iiiiiitiiiiiiiiii(tiiiiMiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiinfiittiiimmtiniiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ♦*« 



/W iiiiiiiiiiniiimnmimi"«ii>i"i"«"""'"""«""""""""""""""""""""''"""""'""""" """ *^ 

I Angel Eyes | 

i Do€S yo' cbber stops to guess, or won'er, | 

I Wen yo' looks up in de air wid yer eyes, | 

I Or doesn't yo* nebber ceres to even ax | 

i What meKs de Stars twinkl' in de skies. | 

i Ah of'en sits an' watches dem fo' hours, | 

I An' cb'ry one ob dem habs de winki'; = 

i Dcy looks at me, den ah looks at dem, | 

I An' tiics to thinks what mcks 'em twinkl', = 

I Ah feels mos' cert'in. it's dere lids c'shuttin' | 

I Eb'ry now an' den, jes lak mine; | 

I (jibbin' to dem de cbbcr-bright sparkl' | 

I Uat meks 'em be always wantin* t* shine. | 

I Dcy actuary Is de cutest ob tiny eyes = 

I Dat ah has had open an' shut lo' me, i 

I An' eb'ry night ah jes lays an' won'ers cf | 

I 02y ain't reafy Angels eyes dat ah see. | 

I An' wen dey sometimes shed de tear = 

= Ah sees it run cleah cross de sky; i 

I An' den ah won'ers who can be so msan E 

= An' what 't is dat meks 'em cry. = 

I Ef yo' cbber looks at dose twinklin' stars, = 

I Ah knows dcy'll wink fo' yo' lak dcy do fo' me: i 

= Foh dcy is eyes ob lots ob Angcl-pcopic, = 

= Always watchin' — don't matter how bad yo' bcl [ 



Sowbelly, lassas, tatcrs an' beans, 

Eb'ry thing's up — 'cept mah sorry jeans; 

Cowpeas, cane, rice, grits an' pork; 

Ah sho geis wings; wen dey won't lets me walk. 



- FORTY THREE = 

X..,.,.inMimiiiiimimi.iiiinimiiiiiiiiimiimin MiimimiimiiiiiiiiMiiimiiiiiiiimiiMiiHiiiiiiiim •> 



•^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiriiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiHiiiiHiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii •^ 



We Nebber Kno's 



Wen ah wuz a'FicKaninny-chile, 
Ah wish'd ah wuz a'hole lot biggah; 
An* now, ah thinks— j^s fo' a' while. 
Dat ah laks to be again, a'wee niggah. 

De ycahs hab done flew out an* in, 
Ah can'ts rccK'n whar dcy-all's be gone; 
But ef ah had 'm right-c'heah agin, 
Ah teWs holt, so dey nebber gets torn. 

Ah wouldn't do jes' lak ah wuz use'ter, 
Foh ah thinks ah'd be mighty slow; 
Cause we nebber kno's de kind ob 'scuse f 
Gib to de Lord, foh d' yeahs we lets go. 



What Aammy Tole Ae Say 



Now ah lays me down to sleep. 
Ah mem'ers de same words to dis day. 
Ah prays de Lord mah Soul to keep, — 
Jes lak mah good Aammy tole me say. 

Ef ah should die befo' ah wake, 
Ah says, wid mah eyes lookin' to de do'r. 
Ah prays de Lord mah Soul to take; 
Den ah can hear Aammy tell me mo'r. 



FORTY-FOUR — 

•^* iliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiitiiitiii •*• 



